Immune Checkpoint Inhibition (Tremelimumab and/or MEDI4736) in Combination With Radiation Therapy in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

A Pilot Study of Immune Checkpoint Inhibition (Durvalumab With or Without Tremelimumab) in Combination With Radiation Therapy in Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Background:

- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is used to treat cancer. It is a way of giving very focused beams of radiation to tumors. Researchers think that the drugs being used in this study might work better when combined with SBRT in people with pancreatic cancer.

Objective:

- To study the safety and effectiveness of Durvalumab (MEDI4736) and/or tremelimumab with SBRT.

Eligibility:

- People 18 and older who have pancreatic cancer that has not responded or to chemotherapy. They must be candidates for radiation but not resection.

Design:

• Participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. They will have blood tests. Their tumor will be measured using computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Participants will have their tumor biopsied with a needle. They will have also have a biopsy after cycle 1.
• Participants will get 1 or 2 drugs in combination with the SBRT.
• For MEDI4736, the duration of each cycle will be 28-days. Participants will get the drug through an intravenous (IV) infusion twice in each cycle (Days 1 and 15).
• For tremelimumab, the duration of the first 6 cycles will each last 28 days. Then the duration of the last 3 cycles will change to 12 weeks. Participants will get the drug through an IV once in each cycle.
• All participants will have SBRT. Some will get 1 dose of radiation and some will get 5. CT scans will map their tumor.
• Participants will have medical history, physical exam, and blood tests in each cycle. They will have a CT scan or MRI every 8 weeks. Cycles will continue for up to 12 months.
• Participants will be contacted yearly for follow-up.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pancreatic Cancer; Pancreas Cancer; Cancer of Pancreas; Cancer of the Pancreas
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: Durvalumab; Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); Biological: Tremelimumab

Detailed Description

Background:

Tremelimumab is a monoclonal antibody against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4). Anti-CTLA4 therapy has been shown to enhance anti-tumor immunity by blocking tumor-induced immune suppression of cytotoxic T cells.

Durvalumab is a human monoclonal antibody directed against Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Blockage of ligation between PD-L1 and Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) induces local immune activation and prevent anergy and exhaustion of effectors T-cells.

Several studies have documented an increase in peripheral antitumor immunity following radiation. This effect is evidently too weak to be clinically relevant, but has the potential to be boosted by immune modulation.

The underlying hypothesis of this study is that the effect of Immune Checkpoint inhibitor (Durvalumab with or without Tremelimumab) treatment can be enhanced by radiation in patients with advanced pancreatic carcinoma.

Objective:

To determine the safety, tolerability and feasibility of immune checkpoint inhibition [comprising either Durvalumab alone, or combined Durvalumab and Tremelimumab] in combination with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

Eligibility:

Histologically confirmed metastatic pancreatic cancer with primary in-situ (or locally-recurrent) with at least 1 measurable metastatic lesion by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria and accessible for biopsy. There is no limit to the number of prior chemotherapy regimens received.

Patients must be greater than or equal to 18 years of age and have a performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)) less than or equal to 1

Life expectancy of greater than 3 months.

Acceptable organ and bone marrow function.

Patients must not have had standard of care chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or major surgery within the last 2 weeks prior to entering the study. For recent experimental therapies a 28 day period of time must have elapsed before commencing protocol treatment.

No active or prior documented autoimmune or inflammatory disorders (including inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis with the exception of diverticulosis, celiac disease, irritable bowel disease; Wegner syndrome; Hashimoto syndrome; Graves disease; rheumatoid arthritis, hypophysitis, uveitis, etc.) within the past 3 years prior to the start of treatment.

No active or history of inflammatory bowel disease (colitis, Crohn's), irritable bowel disease, celiac disease, or other serious, chronic, gastrointestinal conditions associated with diarrhea. No active or history of systemic lupus erythematosus, Wegeners granulomatosis.

Design:

Subjects will be assigned to 4 arms

Anti-PDL1 (Durvalumab) in combination with radiation (8 Gray (Gy) in fraction)

- Anti-PDL1 (Durvalumab) in combination with radiation (5 Gy in 5 fractions)

Anti-PDL1 (Durvalumab) and anti-CTLA4 (Tremelimumab) in combination with radiation (8 Gy in 1 fractions)

- Anti-PDL1 (Durvalumab) and anti-CTLA4 (Tremelimumab) in combination with radiation (5 Gy in 5 fractions).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 65
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

• INCLUSION CRITERIA:
• Patients must have histopathological confirmation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma prior to entering this study by the Laboratory of Pathology of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to entering this study by the Laboratory of Pathology of the NCI prior to entering this study
• Patients must have disease that is not amenable to potentially curative resection. Primary in-situ (or locally-recurrent) tumor must be present and, in the opinion of radiation oncology, be amenable to radiation therapy as planned in the protocol. Each case will be discussed at GI tumor board with multidisciplinary team.
• Patients must have at least 1 measurable metastatic lesion by Response Evaluation in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria.
• There is no limit to the number of prior chemotherapy regimens received. Patients must have received at least one line of prior systemic chemotherapy for advanced unresectable and/or metastatic disease.
• Age greater than or equal to 18 years
• Life expectancy of greater than 3 months.
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1

• Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

  • absolute neutrophil count - > 1,000/mcL
  • Platelets - greater than or equal to 100,000/mcL
  • total bilirubin - Bili should be less than or equal to 2 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (patients with Gilbert's Syndrome must have a total bilirubin less than 3.0 mg/dL)
  • serum albumin - greater than or equal 2.5 g/dL

Patients are eligible with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) up to 3 x ULN. (up to 5 x ULN if liver metastases present)

--Creatinine - < 2X institution upper limit of normal

OR

--creatinine clearance - >45 mL/min/1.73 m(2), for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal

• Patients must have recovered from any acute toxicity related to prior therapy, including surgery. Toxicity should be less than or equal to grade 1 or returned to baseline.
• Patient must be able to understand and willing to sign a written informed consent document.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

• Malignant ascites that is clinically detectable by physical examination or is symptomatic. Evidence of radiographic ascites that is not clinically significant will not be an exclusion criterion.
• Any prior Grade greater than or equal to 3 imAE while receiving immunotherapy, including anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) treatment, or any unresolved imAE > Grade 1. Note: Active or history of vitiligo will not be a basis for exclusion.
• Patients must not have had standard of care chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or major surgery within the last 2 weeks prior to entering the study. Note: Local surgeries for isolated lesions for palliative intent are acceptable. For recent experimental therapies a 28 day period of time must have elapsed before commencing protocol treatment.
• Patients with known brain metastases will be excluded from this clinical trial because of their poor prognosis and because they often develop progressive neurologic dysfunction that would confound the evaluation of neurologic and other adverse events.
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness, including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, current pneumonitis, symptomatic congestive heart failure, uncontrolled hypertension, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, interstitial lung disease, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirement, substantially increase risk of incurring adverse events from Durvalumab (MEDI4736) or tremelimumab, or compromise the ability of the subject to give written informed consent.

• Active or prior documented autoimmune or inflammatory disorders (including inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis with the exception of diverticulosis, celiac disease, irritable bowel disease; Wegner syndrome; Hashimoto syndrome; Graves disease; rheumatoid arthritis, hypophysitis, uveitis, etc.) within the past 3 years prior to the start of treatment. The following are exceptions to this criterion:

  • Subjects with vitiligo or alopecia
  • Requirement for intermittent use of bronchodilators or local steroid injections
  • Subjects with hypothyroidism (eg, following Hashimoto syndrome) stable on hormone replacement, or psoriasis not requiring systemic treatment
• History of primary immunodeficiency or history of active tuberculosis. Note: Latent tuberculosis will not be a basis for exclusion.
• Diverticulitis (either active or history of) within the past 2 years. Note that diverticulosis is permitted.
• Dementia or significantly altered mental status that would prohibit the understanding or rendering of Information and Consent and compliance with the requirements of the protocol.
• True positive test results for hepatitis A (Immunoglobulin M (IgM) positive). Subjects with a history of hepatitis A with Immunoglobulin G (IgG) blood test are not excluded. True positive test results hepatitis B, or C infection.
• Active or history of inflammatory bowel disease (colitis, Crohn's), irritable bowel disease, celiac disease, or other serious, chronic, gastrointestinal conditions associated with diarrhea. Active or history of systemic lupus erythematosus or Wegeners granulomatosis.

• Current or prior use of immunosuppressive medication within 14 days before the first dose of MEDI4736 and tremelimumab. The following are exceptions to this criterion:

  • Intranasal, inhaled, and topical steroids
  • Systemic corticosteroids at physiologic doses not to exceed 10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent
  • Steroids as premedication for hypersensitivity reactions (eg, computed tomography (CT) scan premedication)
• History of sarcoidosis syndrome.
• Patients should not be vaccinated with live attenuated vaccines within 1 month of starting Tremelimumab and MEDI4736 treatment. Subjects, if enrolled, should not receive live vaccine during the study and 180 days after the last dose of both drugs.
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients receiving anti-retroviral therapy are excluded from this study due to the possibility of pharmacokinetic interactions between antiretroviral medications and Tremelimumab or MEDI4736. HIV positive patients not receiving antiretroviral therapy are excluded due to the possibility that Tremelimumab or MEDI4736 may worsen their condition and the likelihood that the underlying condition may obscure the attribution of adverse events.
• History of hypersensitivity reaction to human or mouse antibody products.
• Pregnancy and breast feeding are exclusion factors. The effects of Tremelimumab and MEDI4736 on the developing human fetus are unknown. Enrolled patients must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry, the duration of study participation and 180 days (female patients) or 90 days (male patients) after the end of the treatment. In addition male patients must refrain from sperm donation for 90 days after the final dose of investigational product. Female patients must refrain from egg cell donation for 180 days after the final dose of investigational product. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately.
• Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with evaluation of the investigational product or interpretation of subject safety or study results.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Durvalumab + 8 Gray (Gy) in 1 fraction; Cohort 1/Dose Level A1 Durvalumab + 8 Gray (Gy) in 1 fraction	Biological: Durvalumab; 10 mg/kg, mg intravenous (IV), every two weeks, or 1500 mg, IV, every four weeks.; Other Names: MEDI4736; Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); 8 Gray (Gy) x 1; 5Gy x 5; Other Names: Sterostatic ablative radiotherapy
Experimental: Durvalumab +5 Gy in 5 fractions; Cohort 2/Dose Level A2 Durvalumab +5 Gy in 5 fractions	Biological: Durvalumab; 10 mg/kg, mg intravenous (IV), every two weeks, or 1500 mg, IV, every four weeks.; Other Names: MEDI4736; Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); 8 Gray (Gy) x 1; 5Gy x 5; Other Names: Sterostatic ablative radiotherapy
Experimental: Tremelimumab + 8 Gy in 1 fraction; Cohort 3/Dose Level B1 (was removed with Amendment A) Tremelimumab + 8 Gy in 1 fraction	Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); 8 Gray (Gy) x 1; 5Gy x 5; Other Names: Sterostatic ablative radiotherapy; Biological: Tremelimumab; 75 mg IV, every 4 weeks for 16 weeks; Other Names: Ticilmumab
Experimental: Tremelimumab + 5 Gy in 5 fractions; Cohort 4/Dose Level B2 (was removed with Amendment A) Tremelimumab + 5 Gy in 5 fractions	Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); 8 Gray (Gy) x 1; 5Gy x 5; Other Names: Sterostatic ablative radiotherapy; Biological: Tremelimumab; 75 mg IV, every 4 weeks for 16 weeks; Other Names: Ticilmumab
Experimental: Durvalumab +Tremelimumab + 8 Gy in 1 fraction; Cohort C/ Dose Level C1 Durvalumab +Tremelimumab + 8 Gy in 1 fraction	Biological: Durvalumab; 10 mg/kg, mg intravenous (IV), every two weeks, or 1500 mg, IV, every four weeks.; Other Names: MEDI4736; Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); 8 Gray (Gy) x 1; 5Gy x 5; Other Names: Sterostatic ablative radiotherapy; Biological: Tremelimumab; 75 mg IV, every 4 weeks for 16 weeks; Other Names: Ticilmumab
Experimental: Durvalumab +Tremelimumab +5 Gy in 5 fractions; Cohort C/Dose Level C2 Durvalumab +Tremelimumab +5 Gy in 5 fractions	Biological: Durvalumab; 10 mg/kg, mg intravenous (IV), every two weeks, or 1500 mg, IV, every four weeks.; Other Names: MEDI4736; Radiation: Sterostatic body radiation therapy (SBRT); 8 Gray (Gy) x 1; 5Gy x 5; Other Names: Sterostatic ablative radiotherapy; Biological: Tremelimumab; 75 mg IV, every 4 weeks for 16 weeks; Other Names: Ticilmumab

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Adverse Events in Each Cohort With Grade 1 Through 5 Related to Study Drug	Adverse Events (AEs) are reported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0. Grade 1=Mild, Grade 2= Moderate, Grade 3 = Severe, Grade 4 = Life-threatening, and Grade 5 = Fatal.	Participants were assessed from the start of study treatment at Cycle 1 then after every cycle (1 cycle = 28 days) of protocol treatment until 30 days after they were taken off treatment, approximately 4.0 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plasma Pharmacokinetic (PK)	Drug level in blood	30 days after treatment
Percentage of Participants With 6-month Overall Survival	Participants who survived at least 6 months after therapy.	6 month
Overall Survival	Amount of time participants survived after therapy.	From study entry to death or date of last contact, whichever occurs first, up to 2 years of follow-up
Tumor Response Assessed by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 as Measured by Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)	Progressive disease (PD): >=20% increase in sum of longest diameter (LD) of target lesion(s), taking as reference smallest sum LD recorded since treatment started. Complete response (CR): disappearance of all target lesions. Partial response (PR): >=30% decrease in sum of LD of target lesion(s), taking as reference baseline sum LD. Stable disease (SD): neither sufficient shrinkage to qualify as PR nor sufficient increase to qualify as PD.	At screening then every 8 weeks until disease progression or patient is taken off the trial, whichever comes first, approximately 6 months.
Progression Free Survival (PFS)	PFS is the defined as the median amount of time subject survives without disease progression after treatment. Progression is assessed by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and is at least a 20% increase in the sum of the diameters of target lesions, taking as reference the smallest sum on study (this includes the baseline sum if that is the taking as reference the smallest sum on study (this includes the baseline sum if that is the smallest on study). In addition to the relative increase of 20%, the sum must also demonstrate an absolute increase of at least 5 mm. (Note: the appearance of one or more new lesions is also considered progressions). NOTE: While RECIST Progressive Disease (PD) will be noted and recorded the immune-related (IR) RECIST criteria will be applied to determine discontinuation of study treatment. For modified Immune-Related Response Criteria (irRC), only target and measurable lesions are taken into account.	From study entry to disease progression, death or date of last contact, whichever occurs first, an average of 6 months
Number of Participants With Serious and Non-serious Adverse Events Assessed by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v4.0)	Here is the count of participants with serious and non-serious adverse events assessed by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE v4.0). A non-serious adverse event is any untoward medical occurrence. A serious adverse event is an adverse event or suspected adverse reaction that results in death, a life-threatening adverse drug experience, hospitalization, disruption of the ability to conduct normal life functions, congenital anomaly/birth defect or important medical events that jeopardize the patient or subject and may require medical or surgical intervention to prevent one of the previous outcomes mentioned.	Date treatment consent signed to date off study, approximately 18 months and 4 days for Cohort 1/Dose Level A1, 23 months and 29 days for Cohort 2/Dose Level A2, 32 months and 19 days for Cohort C/Dose Level C1, and 44 months and 18 days for Cohort C/Dose

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Moore MJ, Goldstein D, Hamm J, Figer A, Hecht JR, Gallinger S, Au HJ, Murawa P, Walde D, Wolff RA, Campos D, Lim R, Ding K, Clark G, Voskoglou-Nomikos T, Ptasynski M, Parulekar W; National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Erlotinib plus gemcitabine compared with gemcitabine alone in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: a phase III trial of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. J Clin Oncol. 2007 May 20;25(15):1960-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2006.07.9525. Epub 2007 Apr 23.
• Reyes-Gibby CC, Chan W, Abbruzzese JL, Xiong HQ, Ho L, Evans DB, Varadhachary G, Bhat S, Wolff RA, Crane C. Patterns of self-reported symptoms in pancreatic cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007 Sep;34(3):244-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.11.007. Epub 2007 May 21.
• Moertel CG, Childs DS Jr, Reitemeier RJ, Colby MY Jr, Holbrook MA. Combined 5-fluorouracil and supervoltage radiation therapy of locally unresectable gastrointestinal cancer. Lancet. 1969 Oct 25;2(7626):865-7. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92326-5. No abstract available.

Helpful Links

• NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 25, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 23, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 5, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 5, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): December 8, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 20, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 26, 2021
• Last Verified: March 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Monoclonal Antibody; Anti-PDL1; Anti-CTLA4; Streostatic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT); Antitumor Immunity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Endocrine System Diseases; Digestive System Neoplasms; Endocrine Gland Neoplasms; Pancreatic Diseases; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; Durvalumab; Tremelimumab
• Other Study ID Numbers: 150027; 15-C-0027

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No